Circles Robinson, Author at Havana Times

The Cuban Regime Survives Thanks to Our Paranoia

It is paradoxical that activists who proclaim “freedom for political prisoners” quickly join defamatory campaigns.

I have two friends, both over 80 years old. I visit them often and run a few errands for them because all their relatives live outside Cuba.

Oscar Perez-Oliva heads the strategic Ministry of Foreign Trade, a technocrat who combines family legacy, Party discipline and continuity.

In Miami, the epicenter of much of the Cuban, Venezuelan, and Nicaraguan community, the day of protest has a special meaning.

As usually happens when people protest, within minutes, uniformed police and plainclothes agents began arriving on the block.

Satoshi Okayasu from Japan took our photo of the day:.”Changing Colors of Autumn Leaves”, in Miyako, Japan.

Today’s featured artist is Brazilian vocalist Flora Purim with the song “This Is Me” from her 2005 album “Flora’s Song”.

In a country with great scarcities of dollars and fuel, with inflation over 23%, voters buried Evo Morales’ Movement toward Socialism (MAS).

What happened “adds another chapter to the history of the application of political commissioner methods within Cuban culture.”

We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Friday, October 17, 2025.